521 
LIV. —West-Indian Herpetology. Bidrag til det Vestin- 
DISKE OeRIGES OG NAVNLIGEN DE DANSK-YESTINBISKE OEERS 
Herpetologie, ae J. Beinhardt og C. E. Liitken. Naturhist. 
Eoren. Vidensk. Meddelelser for 1862. 
In the excellent Beport on the recent progress and the present 
state of Ornithology, presented by the late Mr. H. E. Strickland to 
the British Association in 1841, it is well remarked that “the 
Natural History of the West Indies is far less known than from the 
long connection of these islands with Europe might have been ex¬ 
pected,” and with regard to the smaller islands of the group it is 
further stated that they have been “ neglected by Naturalists. But 
few of their natural productions ever reach our Museums, and then 
are too often consigned to the cabinet without being scientifically 
described or published.”^ 
Such was the case in 1844, and although the additions that have 
been made to our knowledge of W est Indian Zoology during the nine¬ 
teen years which have elapsed since that period, have been neither few 
nor unimportant, we cannot but think that Mr. Strickland’s language 
is equally applicable to the present state of the case. Specimens of 
Natural History from the greater Antilles are still deficient in most 
of the Museums of Europe, and as regards many of the smaller 
islands their indigenous animals are stilt altogether unknown. 
As regards the Mammals and Birds of the West Indian Islands 
generally, we are not aware that anything like a general systematic 
account has ever yet been attempted of this part of the Eauna. And the 
essay on the Herpetology of this region, by Messrs. Beinhardt and 
Lutken, the title of which we give above, rather tends to show the 
poverty of our present knowledge of this subject than the extent of 
the advances that have been lately made. It is only recently that 
Naturalists have commenced to realize the importance of obtaining 
accurate information relative to the exact localities of animals. 
“ South America,” “ Africa,” or the “ South-sea Islands ” were, until 
lately, the sort of “ habitats ” too often affixed by describers to their 
specific characters of animals, and, as far as one can understand, 
frequently without any idea that the knowledge of more circum¬ 
scribed localities was in any way desirable. Now the chief interest 
of the West Indian Eauna consists in the fact of the different islands 
possessing peculiar species. And until each island-fauna has been 
investigated and its relations to its neighbours accurately worked 
out, our knowledge of that Eauna cannot be assumed to be complete, 
although we may be already acquainted with the whole of the West 
Indian species, and not a single new form may remain among them 
to be introduced into our scientific catalogues. 
The materials employed by Messrs. Beinhardt and Lutken, for 
* 
See Report of the British Association for 1844. pp. 194-5. 
